The Grenada gazette., 1887-11-19

= climbed up 70 the ocanol0ln& noa
the top whore I was working. Th
J scafolding itself was light and oissre,
4 very narrow foothold. but l was ac
customed to working at much greste
: elevations and had NO fear or though
Of danger. A light breese was blow
ing down below. but where was thu
effect of the wind was. of course. mucl
stronger. was wearing broad
brimmed straw hat to protect my eyes
from the sun. and was whistling con-
tentedly as punched the holes in my
states with the point of my hammer
and drove in the nails with tho other
end. But perhaps you do not know
what = slater's hammer is. do you? ]
thought not.
| Il will describe it. then, as other.
wise You will hardly understand what
am about to tell you. You see the
hammer is made something like q
short pick. about eight or ten inches
in length. with very fine sharp point
| at one end and hammer headed at the
other The point is made fine. 50 that
by striking light and quick blow you
can pierce slate without chippieg OF
cracking it.
"As was saying, was at work. ~
needless of danger as though it did
not exist when slight gust Of wind
caught the rim of my hat and raised il
from my head. Momentarily forget.
full of where was I threw my hand
behind me in an effort to catch it. The
action was a slight one. but it nearly
cost me my life, and that by the mos.
horrible Of deaths The planking OF
the scaffold ON which | stood was very
narrow, and | was standing near the
outer edge. If you have ever stood on
narrow foothold. even q, Or neal
the ground. you will know what
trifling thing will cause you 10 lose
your balance. You must remember
that l had my hammer in my hand.
"Well, sir. the weight of the ham.
mer and the effort Of throwing out my
arm behind me caused me to lose my
balance. tottered; my body bent
backward; fell, my heels on the edge
of the planks. and in an instant saw
myself in Imagination bleeding and
crushed out of all semblance of hu.
manity on the ground beneath me. 1t
all passed in a second. How it hap.
pened l can hardly tell. had no
thought of saving my life. Ihad
no idea that it could be saved. had. in
TACT. no thought Of any thing: have
aeard of drowning men catching at
'traws; don't believe they do any
hing of tho kind. Ibelieve from my I
,wn experience that the man who be- .
ieves himself in the immediate pres.
'nce OF sudden and violent death BY
lccident catches at nothing, but
hrows ont his arms unconsciously
With an involuntary action of the mus.
les founded in despair At least that
vas the case with me.
1T was just this way; my body was :
ent backward over the edge. and it
ecmed as if nothing could save me,
'hen with just such q dcspsiring ac.
ion as l have described. l thew out
~ arm, and as did so, l felt that in
~ terror and despair l had driven the A
oint of the hammer, which still held
1 my hand, deep into the scanting
bove my head, which served to bind
'gether the upright timbers of the :
and hardly knowing what
did, with this slight support I drew
lysclf toward the steeple. and as I felt
" feet once more on solid found alton,
sank unconscious on the scaffold.
How long l remained in that con.
lton l do not know; it was probably r
OF more than few min utes: bul
hen l regaincd consciousness l fel,
lat my nerve was all gone. l rose
I'D crawled cautiously down the lad.
sr which l had ascende ed so confident
short time before.
Il was not then a coward. Idon',
,leve am coward now. l have .
fear of death or DANGER but since
at day have never again been able
ascend ladder. l can not even I
ok down on the street from IN up.
,r window without having come over
@ the same feeling whose effects you
I've just witnessed. Twas compelled a
give up the trade to which had
zen brought up and seek other EN-. =
oyment. You many think me cow
d. but l am not. Ihave no fear of any
ing. The feeling that comes over F
c is simply physical. 1t is associated =
ith my recollection of the horror O.
at moment, and is absolutely uncon.
olable. Inot only can not work a, "
look down any elevation. but can
1t even see others doing so. The :
sht Of child looking out of an up
r story widow will affect me in the
amer Won hnyn iust aoou ond ,,,;1i -.